Now that you have a better idea about this Yoga mat, let me give you further explanation about the advantages and downsides it has, and why you should or you should not buy it as a Yoga equipment piece (or not necessarily a Yoga equipment piece). 😉

So now let’s get to real facts and find out what exactly is so special about this Yoga mat, and why so many people recommend it (because there are a lot, believe me 😉 ). After all, what’s good for everyone may not be as good for you, so it’s better to get informed before you buy anything… At least that’s my opinion.

1. PRO #1: Much thicker and comfortable than regular mats

By far, the thing I loved most about this Yoga mat is that it feels much better than any other mats I’ve tried.

Believe me, I was one of those persons who thought that the mat you’re using doesn’t have anything to do with your exercises. I used to think “It’s all about how I do it, the equipment I use doesn’t matter that much, it’s important to have a Yoga mat, any Yoga mat”.

That is totally wrong! And I realized it by myself…

Before using this Manduka Mat, I had a lot of different cheap mats, that I bought just because they were cheap. No other reason. As I though the quality of a mat didn’t matter much, I was totally fine not spending too much on a Yoga mat.

Until more and more people recommended me trying Manduka products, as they said “The quality is way superior, you’ll see”. After all those insistence, I finally gave in and bought this Manduka Yoga mat, and the results were far better than I expected.

The fact that this mat is much thicker than the regular Yoga mats changes everything. You get a totally different feeling, of security and comfort while exercising. You’re hearing this from someone who didn’t believe in the importance of a quality Yoga mat…

But I do now. So I can totally recommend the Manduka Yoga mat from this point of view, because when it comes to comfort, it’s definitely the best I’ve tried. Its thick surface makes everything much easier, and it does improve a lot the quality of your performance.

2. PRO #2: Say goodbye to slipping!

You see, I’m not a person who sweats a lot while doing Yoga and sports in general, so I can’t really say that I had a big problem with regular mats from slippery reasons.

For this reason, I probably didn’t take full advantage of what this mat can offer, as I know a lot of people praise it for its great quality to prevent slipping. But this gives me another reason to recommend it, as I know many of you are dealing with problems because of regular Yoga mats that get slippery once you start sweating.

There’s nothing personal I can share here, but I can tell you about one of the guys in class, who also recommended me this mat. His main reason was because it “solved all the slippery problems he had with Yoga mats” and according to him, it was the first mat that allowed him to finish every class properly.

So I guess it’s not just a story.

Another thing I noticed what that he sometimes brought in a towel with him and put it on the mat, so that it would prevent slipping. And it seemed to work, as he was always very satisfied with it. However, he told me that it’s easier after a couple of weeks, once you get used to the mat and you break it in.

I guess this thing is also true, I told you, I generally don’t have any slipping problems with mats, so I guess I can enjoy the benefits of regular mats. But even so, I prefer the Manduka Mat much more.

So if you’re one of those unlucky persons who sweats a lot and needs a non slippery mat, then I can totally recommend you this mat, with my friend’s approval) of course. It works, I’ve seen the evidence.

3. PRO #3: When it comes to quality, it’s right on top

How can I define quality? Well, for me it’s usually something that lasts well throughout the years.

And this Manduka Mat can totally fit in this category.

I’ve been having it for about 1 year and a half, and I’m still surprised to see that it still looks as well as it did when I bought it. It’s true that I have treated it quite well, cleaning it up and taking proper care of it, but even so, I’ve had a lot of bad experiences with Yoga mats.

I used to buy one every 3-4 months, as they were cheap, low-quality products so they didn’t last too much without getting damaged for no reason. They would become really uncomfortable once they got damaged, so those money were, more or less, spent in vain.

However, things take a complete turn when it comes to the Manduka Mat. Although I have it for such a long time, I didn’t feel the need to change it, as it looks just like in the beginning. It didn’t get dirty, broken or even damaged, it actually looks flawless even now.

That’s what I need in order to call it a “high quality product”, so after all I’ve experienced with Yoga mats, I can definitely consider the Manuka Mat on top when it comes to quality.

4. PRO #4: Despite the huge price, you’re saving a lot of money

I know $96 would seem to you way too much for a Yoga mat, and you’re totally right, it actually IS A HUGE AMOUNT OF MONEY.

I used to think in this very same way too, so if someone had told me back then “You’re gonna save a lot of money if you buy this mat” I would have said “Are you kidding me?”, no doubt about it.

But let me tell you how things were in my experience, and how I got convinced that I managed to save much more money that I would have thought.

As I told you a few lines before, I used to change my Yoga mat every 3-4 months, because each of the mats I bought got damaged really quickly and it just didn’t feel right, comfortable to use. The reason why I was okay with this was because I only paid about $25 for each mat, so it wasn’t a huge price.

But you can imagine that $25 every 3-4 months would be around $100 per year, so it wasn’t that little if I made all the calculations. That’s why I accepted the recommendations of many of my friends and colleagues, who always insisted on telling me to buy a Manduka mat in order to save money, besides the other advantages.

At first I didn’t believe it, because $96 is almost what I would pay in a year for 4 regular mats, so why would I pay so much for just one? But I gave in in the end and finally bought it. (Although it hurt me every time I thought about the money 🙁 )

Now, 1 year and a half since I’ve been using it, I can sincerely say that I am so glad I listen to everyone’s advice and bought it! It has helped me save way more money than I would normally have.

Just think about it, until now I would have spent at least $150 on Yoga mats, and by getting the Manduka mat I only paid $96. And these money I saved are just until now, because I have friends whose Manduka mat lasted for even 5 years.

So just imagine what a great deal you’re making! I know it seems a lot, but after you think how much money you’ll pay for regular mats, I tell you, you’ll have a great advantage in the end. 😉

5. PRO #5: Take advantage of the free & international shipping

As I insisted before on the great price that will help you save some money, I forgot to mention that there’s another advantage that you can get, which is also related to the price.

The FREE SHIPPING is something I generally try to get when buying from Amazon. The problem is that not all the products are available for free shipping, that’s why you have to pay attention before getting anything.

If your product isn’t shipped for free, you either have to buy something else besides it in order to get the free shipping, or you have to pay for the shipping too. Which isn’t exactly amazing.

But I’m glad I found this Manduka Mat at a great offer, because besides the 8% sale (which isn’t that much, unfortunately 🙁 ) they also offer free shipping.

And in case you’re curious, I did a lot of searched and found out that it’s also eligible for international shipping, so you can get it even if you’re not from the U.S.

Those for me are great news, so I really encourage you to take advantage of these offers, because they change a lot on Amazon, so it’s great when you get a deal! 😀

6. CON #1: Though it’s really worth it, the price remains pretty high

Although I insisted so much on how effective this Manduka Mat is and how much money you can save buying it, the truth is that it still remains a pretty expensive item.

Especially for people who aren’t used to spending so much money on stuff that is, after all, not really necessary.

So let me tell you what you should do: If you’re not big fan of Yoga or if you practice it let’s say, only a few times a month, there’s no point getting this mat. That’s because you don’t really need it and there’s no point spending so much money on it.

You can, if you want, but it’s not something I recommend you. This is a pretty professional mat, so if you’re not accustomed or you don’t need high-quality equipment for Yoga, then don’t take it. You can take cheaper mats instead, as they won’t damage that fast if they’re not used constantly.

If you practice this sport every week, you’re consistent about it and if you really enjoy it, then it would be a very useful product for you. But if you don’t belong to any of these categories, I guess you can use these money for something else. That’s my opinion.

7. CON #2: A bit too heavy to carry around

I know a lot of people who complain about this issue, and for me this remains the biggest downside of the Manduka Mat.

To be honest, I have no idea why it’s such a heavy item…Yoga mats are pretty light usually, at least the ones I had before.

Maybe the explanation would be that the material has a high density, in order to make it comfortable and non slippery, and this makes it also heavier than normal. I’m not sure about this, but it’s the only thing that comes into my mind regarding this.

Fortunately for me, I don’t have to carry my Yoga mat too much, as I live nearby. But I do have colleagues who don’t have this luck, and they have to carry it all the way from their home. Or they had actually, as they have quite given up this habit and just let it there.

So, if you’re a strong person and you don’t mind carrying a very heavy Yoga mat, there won’t be any problem. However, if that’s not really your case, carrying this mat might be a pretty hard thing to do.

8. CON #3: The larger one (85″) can take too much space

Now it’s time to tell you the story of a friend of mine, who thought that the larger version of this Manduka Mat would give her more space and comfort, so she got the 85″ instead of the 71″ one.

And it did feel really comfortable and allowed her to move better, but the surprise we all had when she brought the mat to the class was a really big one.

Her mat occupied so much space! I mean, I guess it was somewhere around 3 or 4 of our average mats together, which is really huge… considering that our room isn’t the biggest one either.

My friend felt really bad about it and kept apologizing, but there was nothing she could do. Plus, the mat was even heavier than the 71″ (that is also pretty hard to carry around), so you can imagine the situation.

Anyway, after a few weeks she returned the mat for a 71″ one, which was much better for her, and for all of us.

So in case you’re thinking the 85″ version would be more appropriate, think about where you want to use it. If that place is in your own home or in a spacious room, that’s fine, but if that’s not the case, I suggest you to think about it and go for the 71″ instead. You’ll see yourself why. 😉

9. My final verdict – Yes or No?

Now that I’ve written so much about this Manduka Mat, I guess what you really want to know is whether I recommend it or not. Am I right? 😀

Well, let me summarize when I recommend it and when I don’t.

You SHOULD get this mat if:

You’re an usual Yoga practitioner and you need high-quality equipment, instead of the usual cheap mats that last for 3 months

You need a non-slippery, comfortable mat

You’re willing to invest in a durable, comfortable mat for your Yoga classes

These are quite my recommendations, so take a close look at them and decide in which category you are. I hope my review helped you take a decision and find the information you need in order to make an opinion about the Manduka Black Mat Pro 71 Inch Yoga Pilates Mat.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to write a comment below and I will gladly answer you. Thank you for reading.

So tell me, would you buy this Manduka Mat? Or you would choose another mat?

2 Responses

Sounds good. I like the fact it is not slippery. As i do find it a huge problem with most cheap ones. I went through several ones over years, and it always wears off pretty quick. So if you say average mats last 3 months, what is the average longevity for this mat?
I might consider it, especially if it is a free shipping possibility. Thank you for sharing the review.

Yeah, from what I’ve seen, the average duration for ordinary Yoga mats is around 3-4 months, depending on how much you use it (once a week, several times a week, etc.).

So I’ve had this Manduka Mat for around 1 year and a half and it seems almost as new as it looked in the beginning. And from this I can tell that it’s going to last for a pretty long period from now on.

Anyway, if you need an exact number, I know someone who used it for about 5 years, after which she had to replace it. But in these 5 years, she said the mat look pretty good and didn’t get damaged or broken.

Among my other friends who have this mat, most of them have it for about 2-3 years and they don’t need to change it yet, so I guess these are really great news, at least that’s how they seem to me.